Tag: compressed air flow control

Compressed Air Savings Made Easy: Turn Off Air When Idle

Published on by Tyler DanielLeave a comment

Compressed air is often the most expensive utility in an industrial facility. The energy required to generate compressed air makes it a significant operational cost. That is why EXAIR focuses on providing products that help reduce overall compressed air consumption and improve efficiency throughout your processes.

The simplest way to save compressed air is to turn it off when it is not needed. While that sounds straightforward, many operations cannot rely on manually opening and closing a valve. For example, if parts move along a conveyor and need to be cooled, dried, or blown off, there are usually gaps between parts. Running a blowoff continuously during those gaps results in wasted compressed air. Reducing that unnecessary usage can significantly lower the load on your air compressor.

EXAIR’s Electronic Flow Control, or EFC, provides an easy way to automate these savings. The system uses a photoelectric sensor to detect when a part is present. When no part is in place, the EFC closes a solenoid valve to stop the compressed air. When the next part arrives, the air turns back on automatically. This ensures air is supplied only when it is actually needed.

To demonstrate the impact an EFC can have, here is a real example. A manufacturer of car bumpers was using a Model 112060 60 inch Super Ion Air Knife at 40 PSIG to remove dust before painting. The dust was clinging to the bumpers due to a residual static charge. They traveled at roughly 10 feet per minute and had one foot of spacing between each part. Each bumper was under the air knife for 10 seconds, followed by 6 seconds with no part present. Because the operation ran three shifts, the system used compressed air for a total of 1,440 minutes per day.

A 60-inch Super Ion Air Knife consumes 102 SCFM at 40 PSIG. Without any control system, its total usage was:

102 scfm x 1,440 minutes = 146,880 SCF

After installing the EFC, the air turned off during the 6-second gap. This reduced airflow by 37.5 percent. The new daily consumption was:

146,880 SCF x .625 = 91,800 SCF

Using the common estimate that compressed air costs $0.25 per 1,000 SCF, the daily savings from reducing 55,080 SCF of use came to $13.77:

55,080 SCF x ($0.25/1,000 SCF) = $13.77

Because this facility operated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the yearly savings reached $5,012.28:

$13.77 x 7 days/week x 52 weeks/year = $5,012.28

These savings easily paid for the EFC in less than six months. After that point, the system continued saving money every day with no additional effort.

EXAIR has EFC models in stock for applications using up to 350 SCFM. For higher flow rates, models with dual solenoids are available as well. If any of your processes involve intermittent compressed air use, we would be happy to evaluate the application and help you determine how quickly an EFC could begin saving you money.

Tyler Daniel, CCASS

Application Engineer

E-mail: TylerDaniel@EXAIR.com

Accessories for Your Compressed Air Products

Published on by Al WooffittLeave a comment

Here at EXAIR we are very proud of our Intelligent Compressed Air Products. We have spent a lot of time discussing their many benefits, including their efficiency, the fact that many have no moving parts, little to no maintenance, meeting or exceeding OSHA safety standards for noise or dead end pressure. One thing we don’t talk as much about is the accessories that go along with and complement our products. Several of these accessory items are the reason why our compressed air products can boast about having little to no maintenance, or reduced noise levels. In this blog I want to cover some of these unsung heroes.

From left to right, a few value-added accessories for your Vortex Tube: Hot Muffler, Cold Muffler, Automatic Drain Filter Separator, Oil Removal Filter, and Solenoid Valve/Thermostat Kit.

Some of the most popular accessories we offer are our compressed air Filters and Regulators. We suggest using these with all our products (or even with ones that aren’t ours).

The Filter Separator is designed to remove moisture, dirt, and rust from your compressed air system. The 5-micron filter element ensures that contaminants don’t clog or harm your compressed air equipment.

An Oil Removal Filter (which should always be installed after our Filter Separator) provides even more precise filtration by getting rid of oil and solid particles with a 0.03-micron element.

Our Pressure Regulators let you choose the operating pressure. At EXAIR, we always advise running at the lowest pressure necessary to complete the task. Pressure Regulators help you achieve that, reducing unnecessary air usage and fine-tuning the performance of EXAIR products for your specific application.

We have some accessories designed specifically for certain products. For our Line Vacs, there’s the Line Vac Hose. You can also find Thermostats and Solenoid Valves that work great with our Cabinet Coolers, and if you’re using Vortex Tubes, we suggest checking out our Mufflers.

When it comes to our Air Knives, we offer a variety of fantastic options:

If you’re looking for a simple and dependable way to mount your Air Knife, our Universal Air Knife Mounting System is just what you need.

If your project needs something longer than our stock Air Knives, or if you want to manage different sections of the air flow separately, our Coupling Bracket Kits are ideal.

And if you want to simplify the plumbing for your Air Knife, don’t miss our Air Knife Plumbing Kits. They’re suitable for all Air Knives that are longer than 24 inches.

If you’re looking for plumbing options, we’ve got a range of compressed air hoses and fittings that will simplify things for you.

Our Coiled Hoses work great with our Safety Air Guns, giving you more freedom of movement while you work.

Our Compressed Air Hoses are often used alongside our Industrial Housekeeping products to provide the necessary reach for the drum and dolly.

Finally, if you’re looking for a way to mount or position your Air Nozzles, check out our Magnetic Bases, Stay Set Hoses, and Swivel Fittings that can help create a complete setup.

No matter what your application requires or the product you need, we’ve got a variety of complementary accessory products that will simplify installation and adjustments. If you have any questions about these or any other EXAIR products, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.

Al Wooffitt
Application Engineer

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Twitter: @EXAIR_AW

Using EXAIR Digital Flow Meters

Published on by jasonkirbyLeave a comment

One of the primary contributors to issues with compressed air systems is inefficiency stemming from waste. Common culprits include open pipe blow-offs, air leaks, and malfunctioning nozzles, all of which can hinder the performance of an air compressor, making it difficult to maintain optimal pressure levels. The implementation of Digital Flowmeters offers a solution by enabling precise monitoring of this waste. By temporarily shutting down the compressed air system and isolating specific sections, operators can identify leaks; any flow detected during this isolation indicates the presence of air leaks, which can account for a staggering loss of up to one-third of the system’s compressed air capacity. Additionally, replacing open pipe blow-offs and defective or inferior nozzles with engineered products from EXAIR can significantly mitigate waste. The use of Digital Flowmeters not only provides a clear visual representation of reduced compressed air consumption but also facilitates straightforward calculations of cost savings and return on investment, making it an invaluable tool for enhancing system efficiency.

In facilities that operate around the clock in three shifts, continuous monitoring of the compressed air system is crucial to ensure optimal performance. The implementation of Digital Flowmeters, which offer features such as USB Dataloggers or serial communication, facilitates this monitoring process. For instance, I recently collaborated with a company that experienced frequent machine shutdowns attributed to a low-pressure switch, particularly during the third shift, occurring approximately once a week. To address this issue, they installed a Digital Flowmeter equipped with a USB Datalogger, which enabled them to track the specific day and time of the incidents. Through this data, they discovered that the third shift custodian was regularly emptying the water from the reservoir tank of the compressed air system, inadvertently causing the pressure drop that led to the shutdowns. Without the insights gained from the Digital Flowmeter, identifying the root cause of the problem would have been significantly more challenging.

EXAIR’s Digital Flowmeter w/ USB Data Logger

EXAIR offers a comprehensive range of Digital Flowmeters designed for various piping systems, including sizes from ½” to 4” for Schedule 40 black pipe, with the capability to accommodate up to 8” in this category. Additionally, we provide options for ¾” to 4” in copper piping and from 25mm to 101mm in aluminum tubing. For unique requirements, EXAIR is equipped to calibrate flowmeters to meet specific sizes and types. Our product line also includes Pressure Sensing Digital Flowmeters, which allow for simultaneous measurement of pressure and flow, as well as Hot-Tap Digital Flowmeters that can be installed on pressurized pipes without interrupting the flow. To enhance user experience, we offer a Summing Remote Display, enabling visualization of flow data in more accessible locations. For effective monitoring, our Digital Flowmeters come with a USB Datalogger that captures data for graphing purposes, alongside a 4-20 mA output for seamless data acquisition, with an optional serial output available for further integration.

If you have any questions about Digital Flowmeters, or anything regarding EXAIR and our products, please do not hesitate to reach out. We would love to hear from you!

Jason Kirby
Application Engineer
Email: jasonkirby@exair.com
Twitter: @EXAIR_jk

Week 5 Back to Basics — Keep The Flow Steady

Published on by Brian FarnoLeave a comment

This week’s installment in the Six Steps to Compressed Air Optimization focuses on making use of intermediate storage.

The purpose of intermediate storage in a compressed air system is to eliminate spikes in demand from your compressor. A common example is a blowoff operation that only needs air for a few seconds at a time, followed by periods of inactivity. By installing a receiver tank at the point of use, you reduce the immediate strain on your compressed air system and smooth out the peaks in consumption.

For readers with an electrical background, you can think of intermediate storage as the compressed air equivalent of a capacitor—absorbing demand spikes and helping the system run more evenly.

When applied correctly, intermediate storage improves system efficiency, reduces strain during intermittent operations, and is relatively simple to install and maintain. A properly sized receiver tank can make a big difference in stabilizing your system’s performance while extending equipment life.

We’re now just one step away from completing the Six Steps to Compressed Air Optimization. In the final installment, we’ll cover how to properly control your system for maximum efficiency.

Until next time, keep optimizing.

Brian Farno, MBA – CCASS Application Engineer

BrianFarno@EXAIR.com
@EXAIR_BF